Moments Like This
by Explosion-Of-Colour
Summary: Relaxing moments on Atlantis come few and far between... SheppardWeir
1. Persuasion

_I so promised myself I wouldn't write an Atlantis fic, but this couple are too cute! This idea kept me up all night, so it needed writing!_

**Moments Like This**

John knew if she'd been awake, she'd never have let him hold her, it was too unguarded, too reliant on someone else for her to be comfortable. Since he'd met her, there'd barely been a moment where she relinquished control, be it over Atlantis or her own emotional state, and he knew it was intentional. It had been fascinating to watch how she dealt with situations, the way she managed to direct orders like any good military commander, but with a feminine charm about her that never failed to make opponents underestimate her abilities. He wasn't sure if she'd caught him studying her, but over the months their friendship had progressed, eventually drawing out a softer, friendlier, laughing side to her personality, he'd found the fascination was really an attraction to a woman entirely different from his usual type. More than that, it was a magnetic pull to spend time with her, make her smile and steal touches of her hand or arm.

Evenings like this didn't happen very often, relaxing time to unwind and pretend there wasn't an imminent threat to what had become their home. Usually being allowed the chance to sleep for more than a few hours a night was considered fortunate, so the chance of spending a chilled out evening with Elizabeth was one he couldn't pass up.

"Where are we going?" Had been her semi-amused query as he'd dragged her from her never-ending pile of reports.

"I got popcorn, swiped McKay's stash of chocolate and booked out the media room. I'll even let you choose one of those god-awful chick-flicks for us to watch." John smirked at her, distinctly pleased with himself.

She resisted as they reached her office door, telling him she was already behind on mission reports, but he continued to tug her hand, insisting it was for her own good. When she chose 'Top Gun' from the limited supply of DVDs they had, he'd really tried not to laugh, but couldn't help asking if it was pilots or Tom Cruise she liked about the film.

"I'll incriminate myself whatever I say, won't I?" She retaliated, sharp eyes narrowing in accusation.

That earned her another of his infamous smirks, more than a little thrilled that she knew him well enough to forestall his teasing. Not that she didn't give as good as she got. For a diplomat, Elizabeth Weir knew an awful lot of ways to mock an Air Force Major, especially an innocent one such as himself.

As John set up the player, Elizabeth curled herself around a large cushion on the sofa; already beginning to feel the comfort her body had being crying out for all week, and with it a pleasant pull of sleep. She was loath to admit spending time alone with her best friend was exactly what she needed right now, there was no use feeding the ego of a good-looking man by telling him he was right after all. And with no teams due back until the following afternoon, Rodney safely tucked away on the mainland with the rest of John's team, there was little chance of unwelcome interruptions of an 'urgent' nature.

She watched the well-toned back muscles of her 2IC as he fought with the adapter allowing the DVDs to play on the enormous Atlantian screen, admiring the movement of the casual red and black t-shirt across his broad shoulders. His dark coloured jeans fitted rather nicely too, and despite chiding herself for acting like a schoolgirl, she couldn't help but smile. She'd accepted her attraction to John from day one. He was that sort of man. She knew nearly all the female personnel originating from Earth appreciated his masculine cuteness and quick wit, but she did feel privileged that he had allowed her to get to know him, whilst keeping most at a distance. But she had a suspicion that was probably more to do with her permitting his teasing and letting him get away with it.

So she'd decided an attraction meant nothing – they were friends. Good friends. Craving his company once in while was only due to the loneliness of her job was what she kept telling herself.

John turned and shot her a triumphant grin. "All set." Despite the width of the large sofa-like contraption, he sat himself next to her, as close as he could be without actually pressing his side against hers.

She'd noticed that lately, how they always stood within each other's personal space. At first it seemed only when they were alone together on the balcony, looking out over the city and to the ocean beyond it. They'd brush arms or hips, but never react to the touch, content in the quiet closeness. But now it seemed to have spread. Somehow the briefing room seating plan had changed, John placing himself next to her. Then in the control room she'd find herself standing close to him, feeling some comfort amidst the latest crisis simply due to his proximity.

"Popcorn?" He offered, placing the large bowl on her thigh, so it balanced between them.

She looked at him with a mischievous smile, taking a few kernels in her hand. "And the chocolate, Major?"

"Here's me thinking you were just here to enjoy my company." He replied with feigned hurt, before handing her a precious candy bar that he would never admit he only swiped because he knew they were her favourite.

"I am, but I'll enjoy your company all the more if there's chocolate involved." She explained graciously, diplomatic as ever.

John watched her subtly for a few minutes, noticing the lights from the film illuminate her eyes and dance across her cheeks. He found himself thinking how elegantly beautiful she was, radiating a classy authority that even Sgt. Bates rarely questioned. All of a sudden her perceptive green eyes were on his, and for a second he thought it was because he'd been gazing at her.

"I love this movie." The lilt of contentment in her voice assured him she was unaware of his scrutiny, although that was normal, as she had absolutely no idea how the men around the base appreciated her physical form. He definitely knew he wasn't alone there. Although the few who had mentioned as much to him, John had immediately reprimanded for being disrespectful, out of what he liked to think was protectiveness of his friend, but he wasn't quite sure if jealousy played a minor part too. "Plus you should love it purely because its about planes and mavericks, which you seem to have a brilliant grasp of."

"It's a chick flick, Liz, disguised with planes." He shot back at her, without realising he'd let slip her nickname accidentally.

She hadn't clocked it either or she'd decided to let him off because she doesn't retaliate. Instead she shifted about a bit, trying to find a more comfortable spot, eventually letting her shoulder touch his as she curled her long legs underneath her and stayed put.

"What I wouldn't give for a pizza right now." John confided with an exaggerated sigh, relishing the bright, albeit tired smile from his companion.

"I don't think they'll do intergalactic delivery, do you?"

"I take it you have something better to miss than a very large pepperoni pizza, Doctor?"

"My dog."

His expression changed to one of surprise. "A dog, huh?"

She narrowed her eyes at him again, trying to interpret the comment. "Yes, his name is Sedge."

"Always figured you for a cat person."

"Why?" Her intelligent eyes flashed to him in a challenge, a slight note of unease in her voice.

"Not in a bad way. Just- "

"Had me down as a loner with a house full of cats. Thank you, John." She finished for him, a bemused half-smile curling her lips as he realised she was teasing him.

He grinned at her, subtly grasping an ice cube from his glass of water. "Yep a house full of twenty cats and the neighbourhood kids are all scared of you." With astounding swiftness, John managed to get the freezing cold ice cube into the back of her top before she even noticed his hands had moved.

Her shriek could probably have been heard three corridors away, and John couldn't contain his laughter under a poorly constructed veil of innocence for more than a millisecond. "John!" Amidst stripping her uniform jacket, the cube dropped to the floor, leaving Major Sheppard with an unforeseen benefit to his practical joke, Elizabeth Weir in a dark red tank top, cut fairly low and revealing pink bra straps.

His outright leering grin is cut short as he realised she was coming at him with the offending icicle, clearly on a mission of payback. The playful tussle ended with Elizabeth pinned to the seat of the sofa, gasping for breath from laughing so much. It hit him then that the connection between them was stronger and more intimate than most of the actual relationships he'd ever had with girlfriends his entire life.

"You're making me miss the movie, John." She tried to say between giggles, trying to free her arms from where he held them firmly above her head.

"I think it might be safer for me if you watch from there. You'll start throwing popcorn at me or something."

"Don't make out I started this, Major. As usual that was down to you."

She made a good point, besides which the sensible part of his brain was screaming at him that this was becoming beyond flirtatious and he was liable to do something stupid if he continued to keep her trapped underneath him. "Okay, you're the diplomat, you can be trusted with a truce, right?"

The playful innocence of her semi-straight face made him laugh, amazed at how mischievous she was being tonight. Maybe there was something in the chocolate.

* * *

The next time John's attention was drawn away from the movie, it was due to a slight pressure on his shoulder. To his surprise he found a sleeping Elizabeth awkwardly resting her head against his arm, her neck and shoulders twisted uncomfortably. Between emergencies and nightmares, he knew how little sleep she'd been getting the last few weeks, but he was stunned at how nice it felt with her against him. Without much thought he moved his left arm out from between them and placed it around her shoulders, turning her body towards his side gently and easing her head into a more comfortable position against his chest.

Seemly undisturbed, he wondered when she last slept. As much as he admired her unique ability to be upbeat after three days without sleep, he had a protective streak a mile long when it came to Elizabeth Weir. They'd all had nightmares, and who could blame them with a threat like the Wraith to deal with everyday, but he found himself studying her through briefings most mornings, trying to assess how much – or how little – sleep she'd gotten. It had been one of those briefings that he'd noticed she'd lost weight too. And feeling her body pressed against him now without the bulky SGC jacket, he could feel how slender she'd become. He made a mental note to drag her down to the mess hall with him at meal times, rather than accepting her usual excuse of 'I'll get something later'.

Dr Beckett wandered in a little while later, asking what was on before his eyes betrayed his surprise at finding the two leaders of Atlantis in a somewhat intimate position.

"Is Dr Weir feeling alright?" Carson asked, concern lacing his words.

"Just overworked and too little sleep," John replied, glancing down at the pretty curls of her head to assure himself their voices weren't disturbing her.

The doctor sat half-watching the rest of the film whilst chatting in hushed tones to John, before retiring to bed as the credits rolled on-screen. Elizabeth hadn't moved, continuing to sleep peacefully against her 2IC. This left John with the unfortunate choice of waking her or getting her back to her quarters himself. Just about managing to extricate himself from his female companion without incident, he supported her shoulders and scooped his other arm under her knees. In her sleep she seemingly sought out his heartbeat again, shifting so her head was against his chest.

It worried him for the second time that night how light she was, but the thought was lost when the scent of oranges met his nose, guessing it must be her shampoo or something. He'd never admit it, but he associated a coconut smell with her hair, due to the rare times he'd been close enough to identify it. He remembered the time he'd hugged her shaking body after the Genii had finally been driven out of Atlantis and the shield raised. Remembering how she'd let her guard down long enough to let him hug her tightly, needing the reassurance she was really alive and safe.

He managed to enter her memorised door code into the keypad on the third try, struggling not to jostle her awake. The door slid open silently and he set her down on her bed, stealing a few moments to watch her, mesmerised by the relaxed curves of her face and the gentle curls of her unruly hair. Catching himself, he gave in to the temptation to press a light kiss to her forehead before turning to leave.

He was at the door when he heard her turn over, sighing "John" contently in her sleep.

* * *

_I'm thinking I'll write some more scenarios as they come to me, but if anyone has one they'd like to see I can give it a go :D_


	2. Flirtations

_Thanks so much for the lovely reviews I've had for this, I hope you'll be pleased to know I have at least two more chapters planned out (I have a tendency to write long fics!) _

** Moments Like This**

Chapter 2 – Flirtations

Morning sunlight streaming through her uncovered window woke Elizabeth the following morning, a light pounding of an impending headache greeting her. In her semi-conscious state she reached out, expecting there to be a warm body in bed next to her, but her arm found nothing but undisturbed sheets. A strong feeling of disappointment filled her senses as she rolled over, away from the bright sunlight forcing her back to reality.

_'It was just a dream.'_

She'd not had a dream so vivid in years, and of such real detail, leaving her with feelings of regret and discontent when she woke to find none of it was real. She shook herself mentally, some of the images replaying in bits as the sensations invoked within her subconscious dissipated. Opening one eye reluctantly, she found it was half an hour past the time her alarm usually went off, leaving her with only forty-five minutes until her first briefing.

By the time she'd showered, found a red shirt and usual BDU bottoms to wear, a headache had fully formed between her eyes. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if this was payback for the wonderful dream she shouldn't have been enjoying so much last night. Pulling a comb through her still-damp hair, she rearranged the bed sheets half-heartedly into a semi-neat state, idly wondering if John was up yet. Unable to find her jacket, she strode quickly from her room, determined to make use of the twenty minutes she had left by getting back to the reports John had dragged her from the previous evening.

"Elizabeth!"

Turning to see her 2IC break into a jog to catch up to her, Elizabeth smiled at him, wondering what trouble he was planning to cause her today. "Morning, John. It's a bit early for you, isn't it?"

She held his gaze as he studied her, the dark green of his eyes reminding her of the less-than-professional dalliance they'd enjoyed in her dream the previous night. "You sleep okay?" His baritone voice caring, as he frowned slightly, making Elizabeth absolutely positive she was blushing.

"Better than usual actually." She replied honestly, rubbing her bare forearms against the mild chill of the corridor. "What about you?"

"Slept like the dead."

Elizabeth glared at him. "Please don't use that expression."

He sent her a cheeky grin, apologising without even sounding like he meant it, before placing a hand on her back to propel her in the opposite direction of her office. "Come on, I'll treat you to breakfast."

"John, I don't have time. There's a meeting in ten minutes and then I have all those reports you dragged me from last night." As she said it, the realisation of how she must have gotten back to her room last night suddenly dawned on her. "I fell asleep on you, didn't I?"

"Chick flicks generally have that effect on me too." He replied, reluctantly moving his hand from her back to the pocket in his navy BDUs trousers.

"And thank you for taking me back to my room, it was very kind of you." She told him sincerely, a part of her brain taunting her that she'd slept through, rather than enjoyed, the experience of John carrying her back to her room.

His expressive eyes were on her again, studying her face with a mischievous smirk on his lips. "Not a problem. I never mind getting a beautiful woman into bed."

She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to work out if he was being sarcastic, before he reached out his hand to touch her arm in a placating gesture.

"Relax, Liz. You're too easy to tease."

Fighting between the inclinations to stick her tongue out at him and kissing the boyish smirk from his face, she shook her head lightly to rid herself of her treacherous thoughts. "Sorry, John, I have a headache and it makes me bad company."

"I don't believe that for a second. But headaches need food, so come on, mess hall, lets go." His hand was on her back again, overpowering her resistance with the strength in his arm.

"Major," Elizabeth stopped him, grasping his wrist and using her commanding tone of voice to show she wouldn't be persuaded this time. "I really can't this morning."

John stood back from her, crossing his arms over his broad chest and wearing a stubborn expression. She really hated it when he did that. When he faced her, his lovely hazel eyes gazing at her like she was the authority on all his actions, she felt so guilty for turning him down. It was those eyes that had convinced her to let him follow through on so many of his seemly insane ideas; purely on the basis she couldn't _not_ trust his judgement. "Okay, fine. I'll bring you something while you get started on those reports. How's that?"

She mimicked his stance, folding her arms and raised an eyebrow as she looked at him with a suspicious gleam in her eyes. "Is there something going on here I don't know about?"

He rewarded her with his infamous smirk, beginning to stride away the way he came. "Nope, nothing at all. I'll be back in twenty minutes."

What exactly he was up to she couldn't fathom, but she was touched he cared enough to bring her breakfast. "John!" She called to him before he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight, smiling as he turned. "I'd love some of that Althosian tea if they have any."

He grinned, before calling back to her; "What the lady wants, the lady gets!"

As he disappeared from sight, Elizabeth shook her head, a smile still on her face as she wondered what she'd done to deserve John Sheppard in her life.

* * *

Her first meeting had had to be rescheduled due to the scientists who were involved being at a 'near-breakthrough, critical point' in their research, which left her with another few hours to catch up on her paperwork before a midday meeting with one of the expedition teams. Picking up where she'd left off the previous evening, she began to type; unaware of the observant eyes watching her subtly from across the control room. 

John stood leaning on the railings overlooking the Stargate, allowing him to study Elizabeth for a few minutes as she worked on her laptop. When he'd seen her in the corridor a little while ago he'd been astounded by how much healthier she looked, just from a decent night's sleep. Last night had been so different for him, feeling like for the first time he'd truly connected with her, rather than exchange moderately flirty banter until he was shooed away. Albeit with that pretty smile she only seemed to send him, the one that said she tolerated his antics, but wouldn't let him see she enjoyed his teasing. It was that smile he aimed to achieve every time he saw her, purely on a platonic level, he told himself. There was nothing wrong with making a friend smile, was there?

Holding the two paper cups of hot liquid, as well as the bag of pastry-like breakfast foods he'd acquired from the kitchen, he headed into her office, just in time to catch her rubbing her forehead with a pained frown on her delicate face.

"Breakfast as promised." Placing the food on her desk, he set the large cup of the requested tea down in front of her, savouring the grateful smile she sent his way. Taking it as an invitation to hang around a while longer, he sat himself in one of the chairs across from her, grasping his own cup. "And this morning we have a delightful selection of baked goods, devised by the wonderful chef and scientist known as Deterio."

Elizabeth laughed lightly at him, sipping her tea and enjoying the warm liquid's calming flavour. "Were you a market seller at any time, John?"

"Nope, just one of my many talents." He replied smugly, knowing from the faint pink blush tainting her cheeks that his subtle implication had been understood. She smiled back nevertheless, plucking a small pastry from the bag.

"You know these are pretty good. I don't remember Deterio having anything remotely chef-related on his CV when I picked him for this expedition." She brushed her mouth with the back of her hand, sweeping the sugar and crumbs left from the flaky pastry off her face.

John watched her with an amused smirk adorning his lips, before reaching forward to catch a spot of jam that had ended up on her nose. With images from her dream still fresh in her mind, Elizabeth thought for a second he was leaning in to kiss her, before berating herself for her unprofessional thoughts. Forcing a shy smile to her lips, she rubbed lightly at her aching head, wishing she wasn't prone to headaches.

John didn't miss her momentarily pained expression. "That headache still bothering you?"

She sighed, sitting back in her chair and rubbing the back of her neck. "It's nothing a nice hot bath wouldn't fix."

"So go take one, I'll tell the guys the meeting will be an hour late." His caring green eyes fixed on her, his face completely serious.

"It's a good idea, John," she began, touched at his concern. "But I can't postpone a meeting just so I can go take a bath."

The stubborn expression she'd seen earlier was back on his handsome face, leaning forward with an influential sparkle in his eyes. "Why not? It's take a bath or I'll take you to see Beckett."

"John- "

"Liz, you wouldn't have breakfast because of work, you can at least have a break when you're not feeling well." Refusing to back down, he watched her consider how best to argue her point.

"There's another problem with your wonderful idea, John, unless you know where there's a free bath tub in Atlantis?" She folded her arms across her chest, a triumphant smirk creeping onto her lips.

"You don't have one in your bathroom?"

Her smile faltered as she saw his surprise. "You do?"

"Its more of a Jacuzzi actually." He told her enticingly, finishing his tea and aiming his empty cup at the bin in the corner. "Has bubbles and everything."

"That'll teach me to ask Bates to assign me a room rather than choose one myself." She told him with a bemused smile.

"Well you can always use mine… bathtub that is." He offered playfully, leaning forward to rest both forearms on her desk, smirking suggestively at her.

Elizabeth mirrored his movement, her face mere inches from his as she locked her green eyes to his hazel ones, her own smile devilish. "Maybe I'll just order you out of that room and make it mine, Major. I am in charge after all."

Struggling to stop his gaze dropping to her lips, he feigned a hurt expression. "You wouldn't do such a thing."

She shrugged her shoulders absently, her eyes never leaving his. "Maybe I would. A girl needs a bath tub once in a while, it's relaxing."

"Well seeing as how this bath tub is actually a Jacuzzi, it falls under a completely different design purpose."

"Is that so?"

"It being of ancient design too, I imagine it is no ordinary hot tub. Care to try it out?" Despite his flirty tone, he didn't realise how the suggestion sounded until he'd said it.

"Like I said, Major," She shot back, her mouth still curved in a coquettish smirk of her own. "I'm in charge here, I can do what I like should I choose to."

John swore he saw he gaze drop to his lips momentarily, fuelling his mischievous behaviour further. "Is that personally as well as professionally?"

At first she looked stunned, and John's mind reeled as he suspected he'd offended her, but she reverted back to her seductive smile within seconds. As she opened her mouth to retaliate, Rodney charged into the office, destroying the playful atmosphere.

"Morning, morning, what'd I miss while my valuable attention was elsewhere?" He asked the second he was through the door, ignoring the death stare he was receiving from his teammate.

"Great timing as usual, McKay." John shot at him, leaning back in his chair and hoping Elizabeth would get rid of him so he could continue with their oh-so-interesting conversation. He watched her clasp her fingers together atop her desk, the mask of professionalism John had broken through only minutes ago now firmly back in place as she smiled politely at McKay.

"Did I interrupt something?" The scientist asked, not sounding the least bit concerned.

"No, Major Sheppard was just trying to convince me to play hooky this morning." Elizabeth explained with an amused smile as her gaze switched between the men and back again.

"Hooky?"

"Hooky, Rodney. As in take the morning off." Sheppard filled in for him, his tone less than patient.

"Thank you, Major. I'm perfectly aware of its meaning."

"Didn't sound like it."

"Gentlemen." Elizabeth interrupted, her long-suffering tone familiar to both of them by now. John got the distinct impression that times like this were when Elizabeth felt like a schoolteacher, given that she'd told him as much once, during one of his many verbal battles with Rodney McKay. That probably hadn't been the best time to make a crack about imagining her as a schoolteacher more than once before then, and for a slight woman she had surprising arm strength. He'd sported that bruise for a week.

McKay invited himself in, filling them in on what was happening on the mainland and helping himself to the other spare chair opposite Elizabeth's desk. John tilted his head back, already feeling the inevitable exasperation that always accompanied Rodney's presence. When it appeared the Canadian wasn't about to let up on his report, John righted himself, just in time to catch Elizabeth gazing at him subtly over the rim of her cup as she sipped her tea. He grinned at her, wondering what she was thinking. Seeing she'd been caught, she shifted her eyes back to McKay, a pretty pink rising on her cheeks that he was sure was a blush.

* * *

_Also thank you for the suggestions for scenarios – I'll definitely get them in somewhere:D_


	3. Temptations

_Thanks again for the lovely reviews - looking like this'll be a long one so any suggestions can be fitted in! Hehe. _**  
**

**Moments Like This**

Chapter 3 – Temptation

John had been reading – or at least trying to read – his book for the last half an hour, but 'War and Peace' was becoming more of a chore than a relaxation. Stretched out on his bed, he glanced out the large picture window at the decent view of the city in the early evening twilight, wondering what else he could do with himself. As tempted as he was to go in search of Elizabeth, he was a little wary that she'd tire of his company should he keep interrupting her. Maybe he could go and annoy McKay, he thought brightly. After all, the scientist had interrupted his breakfast with Elizabeth that morning, and winding Rodney up was more fun than he'd care to admit.

Placing the thick hardback on his nightstand, John got up and moved to the door, surprised to find Elizabeth standing outside, her hand raised as if about to knock. He couldn't stop his gaze wandering over her; there seemed to be an entirely different Doctor Weir standing in front of him. Dressed casually in jeans and bundled in an enormous Yale University sweatshirt, she looked unbearably attractive, and John had trouble preventing himself leaning forward to kiss her.

"Hey," She greeted with a smile, aware of his intense eyes on her but assuming it was due the rare sight of non-uniform clothing.

His gaze swept back to her face as he favoured her with a lazy grin. "Not had enough of me today, Liz?"

She gave him a playfully innocent look, tilting her head to one side as if she couldn't understand why he'd think that. "Yes, actually. But I have all this to do," She gestured to the bundle of disks and the laptop she held in her arms. "And McKay has managed to disable the heating in my room as well as my office, whilst trying to make the temperature systems more efficient. Would it be okay if I imposed for a little while?"

"Ah, McKay strikes again." He grinned as he stepped back, motioning for her to come in. Sitting back on the bed as he had been, he watched her as she pulled out the chair from the small desk in one corner of the room. She sensed his eyes on her, turning to see the bemused half-smile on his handsome face.

"What?" Instinctively her hand went to her head, touching her hair to see if there was something out of place causing his amusement.

"There's a reason I don't sit on that chair. It's damned uncomfortable." He patted the left side of his bed, his features forming a distinctly come-hither expression as he grinned at her again. "I don't bite you know."

Elizabeth looked at him with a tolerant smile, but decided the bed would be more comfortable. Moving her work to the middle of the bed, she sat herself cross-legged on the far left side, somehow unwilling to trust herself to sit next to him given the flirtatious nature of his mood. Once she settled herself comfortably, pulling her laptop onto her knees and pulling open the cover, she looked up to find him watching her again, an exaggerated pout on his lips as though she'd offended him.

"Don't you trust me?" He asked her, deliberately donning his butter-wouldn't-melt face, which elicited a laugh from his companion. "I really don't bite."

She folded her arms and tried to keep a straight face, but a smile broke through as she watched him gaze at her with those gorgeous hazel eyes. Feeling a mischievous desire to shock the teasing smirk from his well-defined jaw line she replied: "Somehow I don't believe that for a second."

Her loaded remark briefly achieved what she'd hoped it would, throwing him for a second, but only because he still held the image of Elizabeth Weir as too chaste – or at least too sensible - to respond to his playful insinuations in kind. "Lizzie, was that innuendo?" His astonished voice was belied by the huge, rather impressed grin he couldn't keep from his face, watching her smile remain amused as her eyes flashed a challenge.

"I don't remember telling you that you could call me Lizzie, Major."

"I took it upon myself to take the initiative on that one." He picked up his book again, although he had no intention of reading it, smirking at her again as she shook her head, a pleasant smile still on her lips that told him he wasn't in trouble.

John's gaze kept shifting to her as she worked, eventually settling on her grey sweatshirt that looked at least two sizes too big for her. "So you were Yale then?"

She looked up at him, a puzzled frown pulling her brows together, before she realised what he was talking about. "Oh, no, it was a gift from my brother." At his inquiring look, she explained, "It's a silly story really. He's eight years older than me, so I was ten when he went off to University, and he would always come home wearing his university sweatshirt. I always asked him to bring one home for me, but he said they were just for a university club or something, so of course I wanted one even more- "

He was smiling at her, irrationally pleased that she trusted him enough to confide a family memory. "Go on."

Taking a deep breath as if to gain the confidence to continue her story, she wondered when she'd become close enough to her 2IC to not even have to think before sharing a personal recollection. She had to admit it was a nice realisation, especially since she'd originally assumed she and John would clash over pretty much anything, be it professional tactics or personal preferences. "When I was leaving for university myself, Will gave me one of his Yale sweatshirts as a going away present. I always take it everywhere, it just seems to connect me to my family wherever I am." She looked at him in embarrassment. "It's silly I know."

John held her eyes, her story seeming to unearth an almost overwhelming urge to hug her, to kiss her, just to touch her. He masked his internal battle with a grin. "It means something to you, so it's sentimental, not silly."

Her smile was so bright that it seemed to light up her pretty eyes. "It's pretty good in the cold too."

"Are we still talking about your sweatshirt?" He asked with a cheeky grin, breaking the serious personal moment with his usual flirtatious charm.

Elizabeth threw herself forward so she could thump him on the chest for his remark, but underestimating the distance between them, she nearly losing her balance. John managed to catch her before she fell on top of him; one hand on her waist while the other caught her wrist to hinder her impending assault with a laugh. Seemly undeterred by their intimate closeness, she fought him jovially as he held onto her, determined to hit him for his flirtatious twisting of her words. She was letting out little laughing squeals at not being able to get free, and John chuckled smugly as he overpowered her, eventually managing to flip her onto her back. Breathless from laughing and dark hair spread out over his pillow, Elizabeth seemed to realise their position at the same second John did, their eyes locking as he held his face not an inch from hers.

Finding herself trapped beneath her 2IC for the second time in as many days was not the most normal occurrence for Elizabeth, but it definitely wasn't a bad one either, and this time she had the very strong feeling he was going to close the distance between them and kiss her. She could smell soap and some faint musky scent that must have been aftershave, his breath brushing lightly over her cheek as his greeny-brown eyes bored into hers. As his left hand released its hold on her wrist and reached up to touch her face tenderly, she started slightly at his gentle caress, purely because she couldn't quite believe this was happening, an internal war of professional ethics versus desire ever-present.

Unfortunately he took it the wrong way, springing up off her as if she'd thrown hot water onto him, an uncomfortable smile on his face as he stood by the bed. "Sorry," He apologised lightly, running a hand over his hair as he saw her sit up. She brought her long legs up to her chest, folding her arms around them and resting her chin on her knees, a warm smile on her face that he was extremely grateful for.

"That's why I talk my way out of things, I can never win in a hand to hand fight." She told him calmly.

They watched each other silently for a few minutes, each trying to work out what had just happened and blaming themselves for it. In all his life John hadn't found himself this confused over a woman. It had never been a problem to him; a woman was attached or she wasn't, she was interested or she wasn't. Elizabeth Weir was proving to be an enigma that he couldn't work out but also couldn't stay away from. He'd taken her being startled before as a sign he'd misread her feelings, but the way she was looking at him now was making him think he had been right the first time. Confused and unsure of spending more time with her, he quickly thought up an excuse to escape for a little while. "I'm going to go grab something from the kitchens, you want anything?"

She shook her head no, reaching out for the forgotten laptop to continue what she'd originally come in for, then looked up at him again with a questioning look. "You want me to go? I can go find somewhere else- "

"No, Liz, it's fine honestly," John assured her sincerely, a feeling of guilt flooding though him at the thought he'd made her uncomfortable. He cracked a smile, hoping to ease her apprehension as he added: "Besides I know you're only in here to steal my 'War and Peace' book."

Comforted by her raised eyebrow and the smirk on her face, John headed out his door, a fleeting thought for anyone who came knocking and found Elizabeth by herself in his bedroom. That was one way of adding fuel to the rumour-filled fire, he mused.

It was an hour or so past the usual evening mealtime, so the large room that served as their mess hall was relatively empty when John got there, his mind still playing and re-playing the good-natured little tussle with Elizabeth. If he'd been wrong about that moment being a particularly intimate one wouldn't she have gotten up? She'd gazed at him with that lovely smile on her face, pretty much inviting him to kiss her, hadn't she? He shook his head, he'd never be able to understand that woman, but in some perverse way it was one of the many things he liked about her. It wasn't – or at least it hadn't been – a normal occurrence to spend so much time alone with a woman, and he'd never felt the inclination to either. So what was it about Elizabeth Weir that gave him that inclination, that strange need to be around her at every possible opportunity?

He barely registered passing Sgt. Bates on his way to the kitchens, snapping out of his reflective thoughts to acknowledge his 2IC. Thankful there was still some turkey left from the latest supplies courtesy of Earth, John fixed himself a sandwich, flicking on the kettle to make some coffee. As he poured his drink, he grasped a second cup and made Elizabeth an Athosian tea. Why it felt oddly domestic to be making Elizabeth a drink whilst she worked in his room he wasn't sure. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted some little pink cakes, which made him immediately think of Elizabeth's much loved sugar-rushes that she'd mentioned one night. He was pretty sure it was a girl thing, same with chocolate – although McKay certainly had the same withdrawal symptoms from their lack of sugary foods as Elizabeth. Pilfering the a few of the little treats, John balanced the two mugs, his sandwich and the bag of cakes in his hands and set off back to his room.

When he reached his door he found his companion back in her previous position huddled over her computer on the bed, one long dark-blue clad leg bent off the mattress and the other curled under her. Her right hand was toying with the cord on her sweatshirt as she looked up, her eyes lighting up in surprise as she saw what he was carrying.

"Midnight snacks." He told her by way of explanation, setting the snacks on the end of the bed before handing her the cup with the tea in. "Thought you might want some of that tea you like so much."

"Oh, John, that's so sweet of you." She told him sincerely, beaming at him for his thoughtfulness. "I'm beginning to think you read minds."

He grinned back at her, biting down on a cheeky comeback, unsure if there was still a slight tension between them or if he was imagining it. "Those are for your nightly sugar-rush." Pointing to the bag of cakes and enjoying the laugh she made at his disapproving tone.

"I simply prefer sugar to caffeine, Major." She told him indignantly, taking a sip of her tea as she watched him from behind the rim.

"I'm going to take that as an insult, _Doctor, _and say that if you get sugar-induced giggles in the next half hour don't expect me to keep the experience to myself." He shot her a self-satisfied smirk, biting into his precious turkey sandwich.

She laughed heartily at his threat, taking one of the pink cakes in her fingers and trying not to drop any of the icing onto John's bed. "What makes you think I giggle?"

"All girls giggle, Liz. Although I have to say it's not really all that embarrassing unless its in public and said girl has a laughing fit for no apparent reason." He explained with a wince.

"You know you're going to have to explain that now."

"What?"

"When that happened. It sounds like a defining moment in how you see the female species."

John shook his head with exaggerated horror. "Oh no, you don't get that story, Liz. If I told you I think it'd be a catastrophe of galactic proportions."

She fixed him with a disbelieving expression, waiting to see if his exaggeration meant he really wasn't going to explain. "Okay, fine. I'll just get back to the duty assignments for the next month. You like the graveyard shift in the control room, right?" Her face was the picture of innocence, as she looked him straight in the eye, the hint of an evil smile struggling to break through.

"Blackmail, Lizzie? Now that's just mean." He rewarded her with his best pout, puppy-dog eyes and all, but it seemed she wouldn't be swayed.

She sat back, her reports forgotten yet again as she folded her arms, giving him her finest withering look. "You're going to keep calling me that, aren't you?"

His grin was feral as he answered her. "Well I think it suits you."

"Yes, I'm sure everyone will take me seriously if you're calling me 'Lizzie' all the time," she replied sarcastically, hating herself for bending to his charm so easily.

"I think it'll catch on. I'm sure Bates wouldn't mind spreading the word." He finished his sandwich, unable to suppress his glee as her green eyes settled on him, clearly unsure if he was actually joking. Taking a sip of coffee, he reached for one of Elizabeth's cakes, only to get a sharp slap on his wrist. "Hey!"

"You can't hinder my sugar rush and call me that as well, John. It's just not possible." She explained with a narrowing of her eyes, the challenge evident as she took a deliberate bite of one of the pink treats.

"Is this one of your diplomatic relations exercises?" He retorted with feigned regret, a second before lurching forward and swiping a cake before she could react. "'Cause I can't promise anything."

She watched him enjoy his stolen sweet; deliberating whether to retaliate or be the peace-loving person she was when not in the presence of her mischievous 2IC. "You don't play fair."

John set his hazel eyes on her, his smirk as wicked as the glint in his eyes. "Lizzie, you don't know the half of it."

* * *

_Don't worry Jacuzzi from chap 2 will be making a cameo next chap :op_


	4. Crossed Paths

**Moments Like This**

Chapter 4 – Crossed Paths

It had been one of those days; the days that gave new meaning to the cliché of wishing she'd stayed in bed that morning. The bad run of luck hadn't even had the decency to start occurring once she was in her office, as Stackhouse's team arrived home exactly 5:15am, some seven hours late, which had pulled her out of bed after a good two hours sleep. The news that the supposedly 'cut and dry' alliance had collapsed and the villagers had turned on them, hadn't been the most welcome one, add to that an assortment of minor injuries and Elizabeth was down a team for at least a week or two.

During an argument with Carson who was threatening to pull medical rank on her if she didn't get some more sleep, word came in that a couple of scientists on Zelenka's team had –thankfully - narrowly avoided blowing up themselves up, but had managed to cause a fair amount of fire damage in one of the main labs.

Days that started out like this only promised more trouble to come, and with Sheppard's team heading out that didn't bode well. Elizabeth ran a hand over her tired face, and combed her fingers through her hair in an effort to make herself more presentable for the impending briefing.

"Elizabeth?"

She raised her eyes to meet John's ever-cheerful face, and couldn't help but smile at his friendly grin. "If you've come to make any last minute requests I'm not going to like then you've picked me in the wrong mood."

"Tough morning?" He asked with genuine sympathy, sitting himself on the chair opposite her desk.

Elizabeth nodded, resting her elbows on her desk and clasping her fingers together under her chin. "I hope that will dissuade you from getting you or your team into any trademark Sheppard trouble off-world."

He feigned a hurt expression and folded his arms over his broad chest. "Liz, contrary to what you may think, I don't go looking for trouble. It just… happens."

"You just attract it, John. It's one of your gifts." She accused him jovially, a smirk of her own adorning her lips.

"I promise to do everything I can not to make your day any worse, how's that?" The charming grin accompanied by the raising of the fingers on his left hand as a mock 'scout's honour' was enough to make her laugh, forgetting he was likely to be the source of more headache that day, at least for a few seconds. "In fact," his eyes lit up as an inspiration struck him. "I have an idea to make your day much better."

"Why does a feeling of dread come over me when you say that?"

"Because you don't trust me." He replied easily, leaning towards her on the desk. "But I happen to know of a certain hot-tub that'll be available while I'm exploring the galaxy and staying out of trouble."

Elizabeth laughed at his pleased-with-himself smirk. "It's a tempting offer, John, but with everything going wrong today I don't think I'll get the chance."

"Well," John sat forward in his chair, that flirtatious glint in his lovely eyes that she found she'd been privy to lately. "It's yours any time you want it."

"Thank you, Major." She watched him rise and walk to the door before adding; "I suppose I'll put my plans to evict you from that room on hold, then."

He grinned happily back at her as though the joke had ever been an actual worry to him, waiting until her gaze drifted back to the laptop in front of her before countering. "Elizabeth, I could swear you just want to get into my bed."

Her eyes snapped back to his in a flash, but only caught his wide grin as he disappeared from sight. Everything turned into innuendo with that man, Elizabeth sighed, then decided she couldn't say she disliked that it was directed at her, a guilty smile spreading infectiously on her lips.

* * *

Elizabeth hadn't been wrong when she'd predicted the day would play out badly, but at least – for once – John Sheppard wasn't in the middle of it. In fact, his team had radioed in a little while ago to confirm the natives were friendly and indeed interested in becoming allies, and extended their return to the following day due to the hospitality of the people there.

If only the rest of the city would be so kind. Running purely on caffeine and the two hours sleep she'd gotten, Elizabeth was feeling her focus slipping as the security briefing went on, Bates' explanations becoming harder and harder to concentrate on. A headache was forming rapidly at her temple and her limbs were weary, every part of her crying out to rest. A sudden thought of John's Jacuzzi came to mind, a wonderful way to alleviate the aches in her legs and arms and hopefully relieve her of her headache.

"Doctor Weir?"

Realising her attention had wandered yet again, she met Bates' waiting eyes, welcoming the sight of the meeting coming to an end. "Thank you, Sergeant." She dismissed, standing up and catching a few of the relieved expressions from other occupants of the room. Waiting for the room to empty, she followed out and turned towards her office. Halfway there she changed her mind, moving in the direction of her 2IC's room instead. 'Just a quick dip, and then back to work,' she promised herself.

It had been dark for hours, the limited light casting an eerie glow over John's room as she stepped in, adding to the foreign atmosphere. "Maybe this isn't a good idea." She said to herself. It felt strange, she'd spent time in his room only a few nights ago, yet to be here when he wasn't just seemed…intrusive.

Turning to leave the room, her eyes fell on the dusty frosted window in the bathroom door, and she couldn't help but laugh. There, in the dust, where most would have cleaned, John had written '_Make yourself at home_!' Pushing the button to make the door slide to the right, her eyes widened in surprise at what she saw. The bathroom was at least twice the size of hers, with a shower to the left and a long marble-like countertop running adjacent to it. There was an assortment of toiletries next to the sink, and it gave her the impression he'd actually tidied the place in case she'd decided to take him up on his offer. It made her smile to think he'd gone to the trouble to do it, even though he should realise by now that she knew he wasn't a tidy person.

The large tub was a marbled blue, in a square shape that took her a good while to figure out where to control the water. She was just thinking how she missed bath essences she'd have used should she be on Earth, when vanilla and strawberry smells met her nose, the water filling with bubbles. Amazed at the technology that was probably many times simpler than most of the treasures in Atlantis, she climbed in, idly wondering if John had been kidding about it having special features. The lingering thought left her head as soon as her tired muscles hit the water, revelling in the soothing heat.

Nearly forty-five minutes went by before Elizabeth realised how long she'd been soaking. Quickly rinsing her hair, she grabbed the bottle of shampoo from the countertop, the musky soap smell that she'd deemed as John's greeting her as she used it on her hair. As she wrapped a large towel around her, she realised she hadn't got anything to put on, having not thought ahead to bring her own dressing gown from her room. Still grasping the towel to her, she spied a huge navy coloured bathrobe hanging next to the shower stall. Promising herself she'd never mention borrowing it to John for fear he'd never let her live it down, she grasped the heavy material, pulling it from the makeshift hook.

The second she slipped into the garment, it felt as though she was in his arms, an experience she'd only ever partaken in once, and hadn't been able to enjoy due to the shock. When John had shot Koyla, she hadn't immediately processed that he'd not hit her as well, not until he'd moved forward to take her hand, pulling her away from the Stargate and what had nearly been her fate on another world. The rest was a flash, she had known she was probably going into shock, her body shivering a little, but John's firm grasp of her hand had been enough to survive Rodney's narrow saving of the city. Within seconds John had enveloped her in a fierce hug, which she had detachedly returned, barely hearing his whispered words. "Alive, you're alive."

Thinking about it now, and how protective he'd been of her since, she wished she'd been able to enjoy his arms around her. She wished she'd be able to enjoy his arms around her again, in a much less traumatic setting. But she knew that wasn't likely, a man like John Sheppard flirted and charmed every girl in his path, so their banter certainly didn't mean he saw her as anything more than a friend. Maybe that was for the best, she reasoned. Her track record with relationships wasn't very good. And in her eyes she'd never be enough for an adventurer like her 2IC; add to that she valued and enjoyed their friendship, the easy talks they shared together and the continual teasing between them.

Sitting on the large bed, she towel-dried her hair as best she could, her tired mind on her 2IC but feeling relaxed and ready to sleep.

* * *

"Well that wasn't exactly enjoyable." Sheppard complained as he led his team from the Stargate, handing off their weapons to the personnel stationed there. "Let's not do it again, alright?"

Teyla and Ford's matching nods were exhausted ones. The team had made the mistake of introducing McKay to the villagers' own group of 'science geeks' as John so eloquently put, who in turn had thought it necessary to undermine their own understanding of physics with his own, albeit more correct knowledge. But it hadn't gone down well, and the team made a rapid escape, running most of the way back to the 'gate.

"McKay?"

"I fail to understand the point in visiting planets where their whole scientific knowledge is based on so called facts that are ultimately- "

John's patience wouldn't stand his arguments any longer, so he held up a hand to stop the physicist's tirade, telling the three of them to head to the infirmary. He, however, was a little anxious to see there was no Elizabeth to greet them in the control room and so took it upon himself to allow a few hours before his mandatory post-mission check-up. He got no answer from her room, and when he checked the balconies he knew she liked best he still found no sign of her. It was then that an annoyed Carson Beckett radioed to tell him he was late for his medical and he'd better get to the infirmary fast. Begrudgingly he'd headed there, hoping he'd cross paths with his elusive friend on the way.

"Any idea where Elizabeth is?"

"Sit." Beckett ordered, clearly not in the best of moods. "If she knows what's good for her she'll be sleeping. Something I should be doing, Major."

John kept quiet after that, fleeing from the irritated Doctor and heading to his own room. The sight that met his eyes as he opened the sliding entranceway was so surprising he had to stand and stare for a good few minutes before accepting it wasn't some hallucination.

There, asleep on the bed – _his_ bed – was the woman he'd spent more than an hour looking for. As if that wasn't enough, she was wearing a robe that looked suspiciously like the one he kept in his bathroom. Sleeping on her side, the heavy flannel material had fallen to the bed, leaving John with a lovely view of her long legs, increasing the sense he'd guiltily imagined this scene many times over the months in Atlantis.

As his gaze swept back to her face, he noticed her shifting slightly, brows furrowing in agitation. Instinctively he moved forward, crouched beside the bed and smoothed her hair from her face gently, hoping it would calm her nightmare. It was a trick he'd learned with his young sister, a time that seemed like a different life now. He watched her sleeping face intently as his fingers played over her hairline, wishing what little sleep she managed to get wouldn't be filled with the evil they fought day to day. As her features relaxed, John found himself wondering where he was going to sleep that night, knowing he'd never have the heart to wake her.

He took a few extra minutes to watch her now-peaceful face, before grabbing a fresh outfit and heading to the bathroom to change. Smiling as he found a neat pile of clothes folded on the countertop, he wondered if she would appreciate him seeking out a better room for her to move into. Knowing Elizabeth, she wouldn't be materialistic enough to want a room like that, besides which it was nice to give her an excuse to use his room instead, especially if falling asleep on his bed became a habit.

Once he'd washed up, he found Elizabeth had moved, throwing off the robe and leaving her in only her deep red t-shirt and underwear, the distressed expression back on her elegant face. She'd mentioned in passing that she had nightmares, but then most of the expedition team were plagued by them. Somehow seeing the strong, ever-confident Elizabeth Weir so vulnerable tugged at his heart. Would it reveal too much if he wrapped his arms around her, claiming the pretence of staving off her bad dreams? She moved again suddenly, back to her previous position on her side, beginning to shiver, whether because of her subconscious or the coolness of the room John wasn't sure.

Pulling the bed covers out gently from underneath her, he settled the thick sheets over her slight form, before giving in to the temptation to lay next to her, his powerful arms encircling her body in an attempt to cease her shivering. He lost track of time as he studied her face, all the while half-hoping she wouldn't wake to find him there. With his head so close to hers, the scent of her hair was intoxicating to his senses. Realising she must have borrowed some of his shampoo, he couldn't help but smile. Anyone who found out they were sharing – in the most innocent sense of the word – his bathroom, would certainly distribute the information rapidly, inevitably adding to the betting pools neither leader was supposed to know about.

As the lateness of the evening brought with it a distinct chill, John barely registered tightening his hold on Elizabeth beneath the sheets, pulling her closer to him and feeling the tug of sleep himself. His last thought as he buried his nose in the soft curls of her freshly washed hair was whether she'd be pissed at him in the morning. If that was the price to pay for being this close to her for a night, he found he was fully willing to suffer it.


	5. Asking For Trouble

Thank you so much for all the lovely feedback. I hope you like:

**Moments Like This**

Chapter 5 – Asking for Trouble

John was jostled into consciousness the following morning, his deep sleep preventing him from realising where he was for a good few minutes. By the time it finally dawned on him that the reason he'd woken was due to the warm bundle he had wrapped in his arms, she was shifting around to face him. He felt himself tense as the sleepiness cleared and he realised he had yet to discover Elizabeth's reaction to his sleeping next to her.

Listening to her breathing even out again, he bent his neck slightly so he could see her face. To his surprise, she'd grasped his t-shirt in one hand and buried her head against his shoulder, her pretty face as peacefully relaxed as he'd ever seen her. An onslaught of emotions he wasn't ready for suddenly overwhelmed him, and he tightened his arms around her protectively, his right hand moving over the tangled curls of her dark hair.

"John," she breathed, so quietly he wasn't entirely sure he hadn't imagined it. He felt her slender fingers tighten their hold on his shirt, making him wonder what she was dreaming.

From the weak sunlight streaming through the large Atlantian windows, John guessed it was pretty early in the morning. Early enough that he could probably make his escape from the room and not be seen, but a traitorous part of his consciousness was very interested in his sleeping companion's reaction to this situation. It would go one of two ways; either she'd be embarrassed that she'd been caught in his room, or she'd be royally ticked off that he hadn't woken her.

John studied her sleeping profile for a few minutes before he laid his head back on his pillow, his mouth accidentally brushing Elizabeth's forehead as he moved.

* * *

She woke by what felt like a kiss to her temple, a warmth and security surrounding her like she hadn't felt in years. Disorientated, she opened her eyes slowly, seeing only a dark blue shirt collar not even an inch away. And the collar belonged to the shirt she had a fist full of in her right hand. She had a fairly good idea who the wearer was, and as she tilted her head back, her suspicion was confirmed.

"Oh my god," Elizabeth whispered in shock, thinking herself the only one awake.

"Well, good morning to you too." John's voice was light, as if testing the waters. His arms unwound from their tight embrace of her body, and she was sure she spotted a flash of unease on his face as his hazel eyes studiously avoided hers.

"How long have you been in my room?" She asked; her head still clouded with sleep and her limbs refusing to let her sit up.

His patented Sheppard-smirk appeared then, his gaze finally falling to hers. "Liz, you're in my room."

She finally managed to take in her surroundings, the memory of the previous night flooding back. John inviting her to use his Jacuzzi in his absence, the immense fatigue she'd been feeling all day, and then lying down on the bed, vaguely registering that John's scent on the blankets was lulling her to sleep. What she didn't remember was when her military commander had returned to the base and to his room.

"So I am." She replied in a casual tone, forcing herself to sit up. Unsure whether a blush was colouring her cheeks, she pulled her duvet-covered knees to her chin, circling her arms around them before chancing a glance at her smirking 2IC.

"So…" John drew out the word, his mischievous expression giving away his enjoyment of the situation.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him, her embarrassment at odds with the warm feeling he was invoking in her by smiling at her that way.

"Liked my bed better than yours?" He teased gently.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

He shrugged, the cheeky grin widening as he replied; "It's not everyday I find my boss in my bed."

"Your boss?"

"Yeah, that'd be you."

"I thought we had more of a joint command, Major." She levelled her emerald –coloured eyes at him, a silent challenge to contradict her.

"So long as I don't piss you off too much, you mean."

It was Elizabeth's turn to smile, donning a deliberately hurt expression. "It's not that difficult to stay on my good side, is it?"

"Well…"

"That was a rhetorical question, Major."

He tilted his head to the side adorably, his expression a perfect example of the wounded puppy-dog she could never say no to. "Oh, Liz. You spend the night in my bed and then revert to formalities in the morning? I'm hurt."

Shooting him a withering stare, she moved to get up, immediately realising she wasn't fully dressed. "I should get back."

"Missing something?" He asked innocently, his straight face doing nothing to hide his smugness from her.

"Yes." She replied, trying to sound impatient but failing to suppress a slight smile. With her back to him, she scanned the room, searching for the pile of clothes she'd shed the previous evening.

"Anything… in particular?"

Ignoring his question, Elizabeth continued to seek out her remaining garments with her eyes, but gave up, realising she couldn't move from the bed without giving her 2IC more to look at than she cared for him to see.

For now at least. She chided herself for the traitorous thought entering her head.

"John, where are my trousers?"

"Trousers? Black ones… cute little pockets on each side?" He asked, his face creasing in mock-concentration.

She sighed, pinning him with her best-unimpressed look. "Yes, those ones."

"Nope, haven't seen them."

"John!"

She could've laughed at his contrite expression, but his green eyes were still alight with playfulness. "This is one of those times where I get you pissed at me, right?"

"That depends, if you lend me some BDUs I might forgive you."

His head tilted to the side again, his face lighting up as if a realisation had dawned on him. "You sleep in my bed and now you want my clothes?"

"John," she said with exaggerated patience. "Please."

"Well," he replied, practically bouncing from the bed. "Since you asked so nicely."

She really wanted to hit him. Badly. But at the same time, it was moments like this she treasured. Little moments they seemed to steal, where no threats existed, no enemies, no horrific possibilities and no endless responsibilities. Just enjoying each other's company – a little too much in her case, as she had to remind herself again all the reasons she just _could not_ be in love with this man.

"Any colour preference, Elizabeth?" His grin made her heart melt, eliciting a genuine smile from her as she tried to stop herself watching him.

"I'll let you choose."

"I don't think I have any mini-skirts…" He had his back to her, busy rummaging through the cupboard against the far wall - too busy to notice the pillow on a direct course for his head until it was too late. He bent down to pick up the makeshift missile, his eyes betraying the amusement he felt at her action. "Now that wasn't nice."

She laughed and held out a hand to protect herself, trying her best to look remorseful as she watched him advance towards her with the same weapon she'd just used. "John, don't."

"Don't… what?" His voice rose in pitch, accompanying a playful grin as he watched her draw back, a smile on her face as if she didn't believe he'd actually hit her with the cushion. She sat still on the bed, trying to decide whether to sacrifice her bare legs to his eyes and run, or fight back.

Once he was within a close enough distance he swung the large pillow at her side, laughing at the decidedly un-Elizabeth squeal he received in response. She managed to grab a hold of the pillow before John raised it out of her reach; tugging at it with a strength he had no idea she possessed. Maintaining his end of the tug-of-war, he reached down with his free hand to pick up the second pillow from the floor, promptly throwing it at his opponent.

"John!" She cried, somewhere between laughter and annoyance that he was winning. As he came at her again, she moved off the other side of the mattress, taking the blue bed sheet with her and holding it around her waist. She bent to retrieve the cushion from the floor, spinning just in time to catch her adversary off-guard, right in the stomach.

* * *

John laughed as he caught sight of her complacent grin, watching her for a minute as she caught her breath. Her big green eyes were alight with mirth, her dark hair in tangled curls around her pretty face, and she was still keeping hold of the sheet around her legs, not realising one strap of the red tank top she wore had slipped from her shoulder. Suddenly it hit him like a tonne of bricks. He was in love with her. Completely and totally… in love with her.

Her next shot was to his left side, shaking him from his reflections with a jolt. He retaliated quickly, seizing her pillow before she could get a better hold on it again. She gazed at him squarely, her free hand raised in a placating gesture as she said his name again. He watched her as she circled him warily, climbing on to the bed.

"Let's call it a draw." She suggested with a smile, cautiously observing any movement of the soft artillery he held in each hand.

He smirked at her, closing the distance between himself and the bed, holding her gaze as he moved. "I play to win, Liz."

She ducked the first pillow he threw, the yielding material hitting the back wall with barely a sound. The second ended up on the floor, kicked away as they both lunged for the first one, Elizabeth forgetting the sheet around her as she threw herself forward. John heard her laughing squeal again he grabbed her arm, pinning it to the bed just inches short of their prize.

"Okay, okay…" she tried to get out through a mass of giggles. "You win."

"I usually do." He smirked at her, his hand moving ever-so-slowly down her side before reaching her waist, where he moved his fingers lightly over her, grinning when he got the desired shriek at being tickled.

"John, don't… John!" As she struggled to fight him off, somewhere in her mind told her these situations where happening with increasing consistency, and there wasn't a single fibre of her that didn't enjoy every second of it.

Through the haze of movement and laughter, all of a sudden his mouth had closed over hers, kissing her softly before he realised what he was doing. He barely had time to register her lips responding to his before a shout behind them tore them away from each other.

"Oh my god." McKay's disgusted voice greeted them.

John practically leapt up, turning to sit facing his unwelcome visitors, hoping to shield a – he guessed - very embarrassed Elizabeth from his team-mates' view. His luck really wasn't holding, it seemed.

"Sheppard." Ronon smiled smugly, crossing his powerful arms across his chest. "Dr Weir."

"Doesn't anyone knock around here?" John asked, his irritation evident.

"Actually we heard what we thought was calls for help… obviously that wasn't the case, but Ronon here wanted to check it out. Hero complex and all that." McKay explained with his usual lack of diplomacy. He then shot an icy glare at John. "You realise I'm scarred for life."

"Well thank you for that, but we're both just fine." John assured them sarcastically, pulling one hand through his dark ever-messy hair.

Neither man made any move to leave, seemingly enjoying their COs' embarrassment. "Was there anything else you gentleman wanted?" Elizabeth spoke up, her voice holding the authority it always did, despite the change of scenery. John shot them both an aggravated glare in an effort to add to that authority, knowing all too well he wouldn't hear the end of this from either of them. It was always so much easier to enjoy a mission when he was the one with the upper hand on the banter.

"No, I think we've seen enough." Ronon replied with a deep chuckle, turning to exit the room as McKay did the same.

"Too much." Rodney's words reached John before the doors slid shut behind them.

He turned to Elizabeth, wary of her reaction. "Guess I should've locked that."

Rewarded with a slight smile, he watched as she pulled her knees up to her chin again and idly wondered if it was a defence mechanism. "Why do I get the feeling today is going to be a difficult one?"

"Hey, I thought you were the optimist."

She rearranged the sheet around her again, sending him a beseeching look. "If I promise not to throw anything at you, can I have those BDUs now?"

John smirked back at her. "Actually, you left all your stuff in the bathroom last night."

The narrowing of her eyes was the only response he got for that as he watched her rise and move to the door of his bathroom, the blue sheet that had become an improvised skirt trailing behind her. He grinned to himself as she disappeared from sight, relieved at both her reaction to the previous evening and to the unexpected intrusion of his teammates minutes before. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd expected, but he had been sure she wouldn't act as though this was a perfectly normal situation.

It was only a few minutes later when Elizabeth emerged, clothed as she had been the day before and distractedly dragging one hand through the mass of dark curls in an effort to neaten her appearance. "I'm going back to my room." She told him with a casual smile, heading straight for the main door.

"Hey, wait." John caught her hand quickly as he stood, his height surpassing hers as she looked up at him. "Are you okay?"

Her brows furrowed in confusion as she held his gaze. "Shouldn't I be?"

"Well, forgive me for asking, but you don't usually wake up in here not knowing where you are."

She crossed her arms over her chest, an inquisitive smile curling her lips. "I was tired, John. I fell asleep."

"You don't sleep enough." He replied quietly, mimicking her pose.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I need to get back. Thanks for the use of your room." She smirked at him, a hint of flirtation in her eyes.

"Anytime." He grinned back at her, his hazel eyes warm with sincerity. He paused before adding; "You know… the room across the hall is identical to this one…"

"What are you getting at, Major?"

"Well, I'm just saying you could move into that room instead… big bath tub, nicer bed…"

She laughed at his endearing grin. "You don't like your existing neighbours?"

"It's empty. There was some minor damage from flooding but I'd be happy to fix the place up for you."

She glanced at him suspiciously. "Is this so I don't evict you from this room? I was kidding, you know."

"I know." He stared at her with a warm smile, holding her gaze without speaking for what seemed like hours.

"Okay then." She agreed, returning his smile with her own.


	6. Recuperation

Moments like This

Chapter 6 – Recuperation

As John glanced over at his paint-splattered companion, he couldn't help but wonder if she had heard any of the latest rumours that had started circulating the past week or so. It had taken mere hours for word to spread that Dr. Weir was moving from one end of the city to the other, coincidently to a room directly across from her 2IC.

But that had been several weeks ago. Since then there'd been the retrovirus incident to deal with, also prompting an all-out overhaul of the base personnel's requirements on self-defence, amending the rosters to allow time for classes. Elizabeth had been volunteered to sweet talk the scientists on base who were not happy to give up their time for the new sessions, keeping her away from 'hovering' as John had so kindly put it, while he recovered. Between the extra teaching of so many new classes and the recovery itself, John had found himself rather busy, although not too busy to stop thinking back to the occurrence with Elizabeth weeks ago. Neither had mentioned their interrupted kiss in the time since, although there hadn't been much opportunity or privacy for either of them to bring it up in discussion.

He hadn't been sleeping much either. Without the aid of Carson's sedatives John's unconscious was filled with violent images that his mind was slowly remembering. Lightening-quick images of Elizabeth standing beside his bed in his darkened room, her eyes filled with trust and worry as she forced a smile to her face. Then instantly it would flash to her pinned against the wall, his own hand threatening to choke the life from her body. What scared him the most was the trust still there in her beautiful green eyes; as if she didn't believe he would hurt her despite his fingers wrapped around her throat. She'd told him the first time he'd apologized to her that it wasn't really him, that he wasn't responsible for his actions at the time, and she knew that he would never hurt her. And again, he'd found that unerring trust in her eyes. A trust he didn't feel worthy of, not when he felt so guilty.

Three days after they had managed to cure the retrovirus, John had been allowed to leave the infirmary briefly to get some air, under strict instructions that he return within fifteen minutes. He had headed straight for the kitchens, craving actual coffee and a large turkey sandwich. Passing Ronon, who was sat at a table alone in the empty mess hall, John headed straight for the large refrigerators before calling out to his team-mate.

"Sheppard." He greeted John with a raise of his hand.

"Up to much?" John asked as he prepared his snack, all the while wondering how they could come to another _galaxy_, and still have foul tasting hospital food.

"Scientist self-defence classes."

John smirked at his friend's bored tone, taking his snack over to the table and taking the chair opposite Ronon. "Sounds like fun."

"I didn't realize Dr Weir was trained already."

John looked up from his sandwich, trying to assess what had made Ronon say that. "In self defence? She's not. Not to the standard she requested of the base personnel at least."

The larger man was silent, raising John's suspicions. "You going to tell me what you're getting at or should I guess?"

"Just that neither Teyla nor I have seen her in the classes she scheduled."

"And you're telling _me_ this because…"

Ronon rose with a sardonic smile on his face. "Seemed like something you would want to know."

John scowled at his taller team-mate, having wondered when he would hear a reference to the incident he and Rodney had walked in on weeks ago. Disappearing from sight, Ronon's words made John think of Elizabeth, tempting him to defy Carson's allotted fifteen minutes of freedom and go to see her. Making up his mind, he took his empty dish to the sink in the large kitchen and plucked two of the metals cups lined up neatly on the countertop. He made a black coffee with lots of sugar for Elizabeth, grinning slightly as he remembered the times he'd caught her making full pots of coffee to take back to her office with plans of working all night.

Rubbing absently at his still aching chest, John picked up the steaming drinks, briefly contemplating the best way to the control room which ran the least risk of running into medical staff. For once he was glad not to be wearing an earpiece, at least this way he could plead innocence by way of forgetting the time. He reached Elizabeth's office in record time – without incident – and the first thing he noticed was the replacement glass now making up the wall of her office. Having seen Elizabeth few times during his infirmary stay, one of her jokes had been how quickly the staff had managed to fix it – probably so she couldn't overhear conversations she wasn't supposed to, she'd confided with a gentle smile. Sleepy from a sedative at the time, he'd only managed a weak twitch of his lips in return, his mind already blanking to fleeting images from his infected days.

Through the newly installed panes, there was only an empty office. Refusing to go back to the infirmary without seeing Elizabeth, he moved across the catwalk to check the balcony, the sliding door immediately clearing his path. Hazel eyes swept through the darkness, but nearly missed the slight form at the far side, mostly hidden in the shadows cast by the descending support beam. He let himself watch her for a few minutes, surprised at a sudden feeling of paucity at not seeing her so much over the last few days.

Her face was upturned to the dark sky, studying the stars appearing in the early twilight. It was only as John stepped towards her that he could make out the shining on her face picked out by the city's lights, causing her to frown. Her arms were folded over her chest against the cold, but there was a look of sadness on her face that broke his heart as he watched her.

"Elizabeth?"

His heart leapt for her as she jumped, hands flying to her face in a vain effort to hide her tears. She let out a nervous laugh, not meeting his eyes for more than a second at a time. "You scared me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I'll leave you alone." He smiled reassuringly at her, desperately wishing he could ask her what had upset her.

"No, John." She grasped his arm gently as he was turning away. "You just caught me by surprise. It's good to see you."

His smile turned into a full grin at her warm tone, irrationally thankful for it. He held her gaze for a few seconds before offering her the second cup in his hands. "I come bearing coffee."

Her emerald eyes brightened immediately, the normalcy of John bringing her hot beverages not lost on either of them. After the events of the last week it felt like an extremely welcome feeling. As she turned back to look out to sea, sipping her coffee, John moved closer to her taking his usual spot beside her, enjoying the faint scent of her flowery perfume as the breeze swept their faces.

"Should you be out of the infirmary?" Elizabeth's soft voice reached him, bringing him out of his thoughts as he stared out at the dark ocean.

He leant forward, resting his forearms on the balcony wall as he cradled the warm metal cup in his fingers. "I'm okay until Beckett tracks me down." He replied with a smirk, subtly studying her pretty face for clues to what she had been upset about. "How are you doing?"

"Me? I'm fine." She smiled, her eyebrows furrowing as if confused that he should need to ask such a question.

John let his eyes fall briefly over her as she turned her gaze away, realizing for the first time that she was wearing a thick cowel-necked navy top, completely covering her neck. And, he realized, the marks his own fingers had left behind. Watching her for a few minutes in silence, he shifted around so he was leaning back against the wall of the balcony, abandoning his drink to fold his arms over his broad chest.

"Don't look at me like that." She told him with a half-smile, mild irritation colouring her tone.

"Tell me the truth and I'll not have to." He shot back, only half-joking, his gaze falling to her high necked jumper again before moving back to her eyes. This time he held her stare, refusing to back down until she opened up to him. To his surprise he moved forward, into his personal space and wrapped her arms around his shoulders gently as her head rested against his chest wearily.

"The last few days have just caught up with me, I guess." She said into his blue shirt, content to stay where she was. John lifted his arms to encircle her waist, still taken aback at the way she could throw him with her actions sometimes. "I've missed you not being around."

Unconsciously his hand moved to the back of her head, tucking locks of hair behind her ear as the breeze fought to ruffle her curls. "At least I couldn't cause trouble from the infirmary."

He felt her arms drop down to loop around his waist, making the flowery scent of her perfume stronger as she moved. "You smell nice."

Elizabeth smiled against his broad chest. "So do you." Her voice was a whisper and he could feel her pressed against him in a comfortable embrace, prompting an overwhelming urge to kiss her. Their first kiss he wasn't sure really counted, and given their non-discussion of it since, he'd assumed she had wanted to pretend it hadn't happened. His left hand moved gently to her neck, his thumb stroking the skin beneath her hair as she tilted her head back to meet his eyes. Bending slightly to close the small distance between them, he slowly descended his lips over hers.

Their mouths were less than a centimetre apart when Elizabeth suddenly jerked away. John's stomach filled dread as he feared he'd pushed her too far, but she sent him a gentle smile as one delicate hand touched her earpiece.

"Carson, what can I do for you?"

She gazed at John with those big green eyes, a flicker of amusement flashing over her face as she listened to her chief surgeon. "Yes, I've just seen him. He's headed back now."

Her smile widened as she listened again to the doctor, her free hand reaching out to retrieve her abandoned coffee cup. "I don't, think that'll be necessary. Yes, I will. Goodnight, Carson."

John looked to her with an expectant face, curious as to what had been said.

"Carson is threatening to restrain you if you don't get back in the next five minutes." She grinned, sipping her coffee as she watched for his reaction over the rim.

"His bedside manner is worse than yours."

She narrowed her eyes dangerously at his teasing, unable to keep the amusement from her face. "Infirmary, Colonel, before Carson comes after you with several sharp needles."

"I'm going, I'm going." He moved towards the doorway leading back to the control room, turning back to her when a thought struck him. "Hey good news is I have plenty of time to fix up your new room. Beckett isn't clearing me for active duty for another week or so."

"John…"

"I know, I have to take it easy." He replied with a roll of his eyes, ever acting the put upon child. "Painting isn't exactly stressful, Liz."

She smiled beautifully at him, never one to be immune to his charm. "Thanks for the coffee, John."

"Anytime." He grinned back, savouring the image of her pretty face in the moonlight as he thought of the next day or so Beckett had wanted to keep him in the infirmary for.

* * *

As it turned out, he'd been let out of the infirmary twenty-four hours later to return to his quarters, with regular four-hour check-ins in place to ensure his continued recovery. His suspected the early release may have been because he was beginning to wear down the patience of most of the medical staff, but Carson had been remarkably diplomatic about it.

It took John exactly three hours to get bored. He was so sick of sitting in bed doing nothing. So when Elizabeth came along a little while later, she'd found him in the room opposite his own, taking down some shelves in one corner.

"Hey," she smiled as she stood in the doorway, her slim frame clad in a dark t-shirt and jeans.

"Hey to you." He grinned back at her over his shoulder.

"Would you like some help?"

John stopped what he was doing and turned to face her. "Are you offering?"

She narrowed her green eyes at him, crossing her arms across her chest. "Yes."

"What happened to all that work McKay landed on your desk this morning?" John asked her, passing her the container of nails he'd been using to store them.

"I gave it back to him. The report were all too dense for me to understand, so I asked for a briefing instead."

"You asked McKay to bore you to death for several hours when you could just pretend to have read those reports?"

Elizabeth stared at him, her eyes widening as she listened to her cheeky suggestion. "So that's how you get through so many mission reports."

John rewarded her with his trademark smirk, enjoying the sight of her casually leaning on the wall beside where he was working. "I read mission reports, it's the science reports I skim over."

She was quiet for a few minutes, studying the container in her hand with a far away look in her eyes. "Are you feeling okay?"

He switched his gaze back to her, touched at the concern in her voice. "You going to ask me that every time I see you?"

She smiled softly, bending down to place the container on the floor next to him. "Probably." His eyes followed her movement across the room, gracefully dropping to the large bed and pulling her legs underneath her. "I think this room would look good in red."

John laughed, catching her hurt frown as she looked at him for an explanation. "You and the colour red are inseparable."

"I wasn't going to suggest a red to match my uniform." She replied indignantly. "I meant a rustic red, maybe some cream coloured sheets."

He watched her over his shoulder for a few minutes, bemused at the way she never failed to surprise him. "I never knew you had a flair for interior design."

She levelled him with a distinctly seductive expression, her dark hair falling about her face and she smiled at him. "Well, maybe I have a few surprises of my own, John."


	7. Accidental Indiscretions

_Hey guys! Thanks so much for everyones reviews, its lovely that people take the time to write such long ones I love them! Ideas aren't coming so fast for this fic anymore I'm afraid so hopefully they'll start again now S2 airing again :D_**  
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**Moments Like This**

Chapter 7 – Accidental Indiscretions

"Are you sure you've done this before?"

John turned to her, amused by the unconvinced raised eyebrow she was throwing his way. Due to waiting for the next shipment of supplies to be delivered via the Daedalus, they had had to wait nearly six weeks to make a start on re-colouring her room. It had given her 2IC more than enough time to tease Elizabeth endlessly about her choices for redecorating, as well as sparking off many requests from other personnel to do the same. How she'd managed to talk Stargate Command into sending several dozens of tins of paint he didn't know, but it seemed that most of the down time the past few days had been spent redecorating rooms all over Atlantis.

Elizabeth had argued that the interior design spree was good for morale, as Caldwell wasn't impressed with many of his men helping Atlantis residents with their own rooms. It was quite amazing how the new expedition members had become part of the team so quickly, friendships built and trust gained. There had been in-depth discussions about the modifying the rooms of Atlantis, shortly before John had found each of the walls had an inbuilt blanking system, reducing anything on the surface to dust. The science teams had had a field day with this new discovery, shortly before sparking off the on-going 'make-overs' all over the city.

It was John who had swiped enough of the requisitioned paint for Elizabeth's room, as she had been knee-deep in negations with two separate worlds, both of which promised to be worthwhile potential allies. When he'd finally managed to drag her from her work before anything else became too important to miss out on, he had persuaded her some painting would be therapeutic.

"I tried painting my room when I was fifteen, and it was far from therapeutic, John."

He shot her a grin, passing her a roller and a tin of paint. "Well you didn't have me there, and I happen to have done this more than once, with great success."

"I suppose that's somewhat reassuring." She replied, the glint in her green eyes matching the playfulness of her tone.

"Liz, that hurts." John told her with a wounded puppy-dog expression, giving her a little push in the direction of the far wall.

Two hours had passed before either knew how long they'd been working. John turned to watch her subtly, nearly laughing out loud when he saw just how much of the light red she'd managed to get on herself. Apparently feeling his eyes on her, Elizabeth met his gaze with a questioning smile.

"If you're about to make fun of me, don't."

"I would never do such a thing." He assured her, his smirk a complete contradiction to his words. They watched each other in a mesmerised silence for a few minutes before John moved forward, reaching out to touch her cheek, the vibrant colour of the paint contrasting sharply with the paleness of her skin in a large smudge down the side of her face. Her large eyes looked up at him in surprise at his sudden closeness, but she didn't back away. He held her intense gaze, his fingers absently caressing her cheekbone.

"John?" Her soft voice was barely a whisper as she started to reach up, her lips headed straight for his.

"Mmm," Was his only answer as their lips collided, the built up tension and the number of failed attempts from interruptions pouring into the passionate kiss. His free hand found its way up to rest on the curve of her waist, as hers were entangled in his dark hair, urging him closer to her until he eventually backed her up against the wall.

Neither remembered that wall was the one Elizabeth had been painting minutes earlier.

As his left hand found its way underneath her top, he felt her breath hitch at his touch on her skin. He pulled away, anxious not to push her into something she didn't want. He respected her and their friendship too much for that. He realised he hadn't needed to worry when he looked her, a shy smile lighting up her lovely face as she slid her hands from his broad shoulders and down his arms. John continued caress her paint-stained face, leaning back in to kiss her gently. As he pulled away a second time, he spotted wisps of bright red in her hair, stopping him in his tracks.

"Uh oh."

Her confused frown accompanied her movement as she followed his gaze, her hand moving to her hair as she let him propel her body away from the newly-painted surface. John couldn't stop the laughter bubbling up inside him as he saw the colour now imprinted down her back. Her dark jeans were mostly untouched, but the black shirt she wore was covered in paint.

"It's a good look on you." He grinned and she shot him an unimpressed stare, trying her best not to let her smile break through. He ran his hand down her back, enjoying being able to touch her. She laughed at him when his fingers came away with transferred paint on them, but caught the playful glint in his eye before he tightened his hold on her. He pressed his finger to her nose with a victorious grin, not releasing his grip on her as she fought to escape.

"John! I have enough paint on me already!" She argued, grasping his wrist in an effort to stop any more of his attempts at finger-painting.

"While that's true, I doubt I'll get another chance at this." His hold on her loosened slightly as she twisted in his arms, fighting playfully until she eventually weakened and let herself be pulled backwards against his chest. Elizabeth relaxed in his arms, enjoying the comfort of his toned muscles surrounding her, her head falling back to rest on his shoulder as she surveyed the damage done to their work.

"I think it's safe to say you have more paint on you than on the wall now." John replied smugly, his voice soft against her ear, before bending slightly to drop gentle kisses to the exposed curve of her neck.

"Something I have you to thank for."

"Blaming me will only get you in trouble, Liz."

"As much as I'd love to stay here and spar with you, Colonel, I need to change these clothes." His soft lips against her neckline sent shivers down her spine, and she forced herself to turn in his arms to break the spell, smiling up at him as a devious expression crossed his handsome face.

"Well… my Jacuzzi happens to be just across the hall. Has bubbles and everything." He breathed huskily, his mouth so close to her nose that she could feel his five o'clock shadow,

Her smile widened and she narrowed her eyes teasingly. "You've mentioned the bubbles before; I didn't take you as the bubble bath sort, John."

"I'm not really," he sighed dramatically, looking away as though he was embarrassed before catching her eyes with a truly disarming grin. "I'm more the share-a-bath-with-a-beautiful-woman sort."

Elizabeth tried to hold back a laugh at his expression, the warm feeling she usually had when he flirted with her intensifying as he cupped her face in his hands to kiss her again. "Now why doesn't that surprise me?" She sent him her infamous raised eyebrow expression before extracting herself from his embrace, moving towards the door.

John caught her hand as she stepped around him. "You are planning on coming back, right?"

"So you can paint me some more?" She flashed him an amused grin, sensing the feel of his eyes on her back as she left the room.

"Hey!" He called after her, realising she'd successfully avoided his question; he broke into a jog to cover the short distance to catch up with her.

"Are you following me, Colonel?" She asked in a teasing tone, continuing to walk in the direction of her present quarters, having put off moving her possessions into her new room until they'd finished remodelling it.

Placing himself in front of her, John stopped her movement by resting his hands on her slim hips. "Have dinner with me?"

Her smile was soft as they stared at each other for a few seconds, but they were interrupted as she opened her mouth to reply.

"Ah, Colonel, just who I wanted to find."

John pulled his hands back, fighting the urge to sigh significantly and send a pointed glare at his interruption-prone team-mate. "What do you want now, McKay?"

"I have a device in my lab that needs…" McKay's voice trailed off as his gaze travelled over Elizabeth, taking in her red-splattered clothing. "Ah, Elizabeth, you have a little…" He gestured his hand over his own face to demonstrate the stains, and John shot her a smug grin.

"Thank you, Rodney; I'm on my way to change now." She gave him her polite, professional smile, ignoring the enjoyment clearly written all over her 2ICs face.

"Okay, well Colonel if you could come with me." Rodney didn't even wait for an answer, turning back in the direction he came from, and expecting his team-mate to follow.

John hung back until McKay was a good distance away before leaning in to kiss Elizabeth soundly on the lips. "I'll come find you at seven." With that he moved off quickly to catch up with McKay, leaving her once again smiling and shaking her head. She berated herself mentally for her actions, wondering if this was such a good idea.

Falling in love with John Sheppard would spell trouble for Atlantis surely? Raising a hand to rub her temples, she wondered who she was kidding; falling in love with her 2IC was no longer a possibility she could steer clear of while safely in the future tense. Right now, the recently promoted Lt. Colonel had managed to get around her defences, surpass all her ethical and professional morals, and assign himself the man she couldn't stop herself from loving no matter how hard she tried.

* * *

"So," McKay broached, his usual smirk adorning his face.

"So… what?"

"You and Elizabeth…"

"Are none of your business, McKay." John finished for him, picking up a strangely shaped object that looked suspiciously like a miniature puddle jumper.

"If you wouldn't mind, Colonel," the scientist swiped the object from his team-mate's hand and set it safely on a shelf behind his desk. "I only ask of course, because you two seem somewhat inseparable these days."

Sheppard didn't reply, continuing to scan the desktops absently at the equipment and tools he didn't recognize, but McKay's perceptive eye didn't fail to notice the slight smile that flickered across his face. Curiosity got the better of him as he wondered when the two leaders of Atlantis had become so close. Not only that, but he considered Elizabeth a friend, and he knew without a doubt something must have changed between she and John purely because in the two years on Atlantis, there wasn't a single time he saw her smile at anyone the same way she smiled at John.

"Why am I here McKay?"

"Oh, right, yes." Passing the soldier a small cube, he stood back and folded his arms, a smug expression on his face. "That is something the Ancients appear to have been working on."

"And it does… what?" John asked, his tone bordering on impatient.

"Well, as far as I can tell, I suspect it's a sort of health detector."

"A health detector?" Raising the pitch of his voice slightly in disbelief, he turned the object over in his hand.

"Yes, try to think about your general health and see what happens," Rodney snapped in response.

"And why exactly couldn't you do this?" John asked, never the less doing as he was asked. A purpley-pink glow suddenly emanated from the device, spreading over his hand and then disappearing with a quiet beep back into the object. "There's something on the screen now."

Rodney grabbed the small device back, studying the tiny screen. "It's in Ancient, something about your arm but other than that perfectly healthy." He continued to watch the readout, trying to decipher the few words her couldn't understand. "I think that's supposed to say 'abrasion'. You have an abrasion on your arm?"

"Yeah, that'd be courtesy of Wraith Bug Volume II. Hasn't quite healed yet." John told him reluctantly, loath to even think about it. "Are we done?"

"Date with Elizabeth?"

John narrowed his eyes dangerously, his patience with the aggravating scientist running out fast. "Stay out of it McKay, it's none of your damn business." Stalking out of the lab, he shook his head at his team-mate's unique ability to wind him up, deciding the gym would be the best place to go before meeting Elizabeth later.


	8. No Going Back

Moments Like This

Chapter 8 – No Going Back

"How long have you been standing there?"

Elizabeth started slightly at the sudden question, standing up straighter against the gym's doorway where she'd spent the previous few minutes watching her 2IC practice movements he and Teyla had been working on. John turned to face her, taking in the soft smile she wore as she observed him. Much to his surprise, he noticed she was wearing the alluring V-neck turquoise top he'd only seen once before, and from what he could see had managed to get rid of the red paint staining her hair previously.

"I had Rodney complaining to me that you were 'unnecessarily harsh' with him; he suggested I talk to you." Her green eyes narrowed as she scrutinized his reaction as she crossed the Atlantian floor to stand in front of him, her seldom-worn heels clicking against the smooth surface.

"You'd think he'd be used to people getting annoyed at him by now." John smirked, folding his broad arms over his chest, his hazel gaze locking with hers as he studied her pretty face, trying to figure out what the trace of concern he found there was borne of.

There was silence as they stared at one another, both quietly questioning.

"Are you okay, John?" She finally asked in her gentle tone, one he often heard lately.

He shook his head dismissively. "Just certain scientists winding me up."

A flash of fresh apprehension crossed her face as she stepped closer to him, lowering her voice to barely above a whisper. "Are you sure that's all it is?"

John frowned in confusion, searching her features for some clue as to what she was implying. She averted her eyes from his and stepped back, raising two slender figures to rub at her temples, her lack of words worrying him further.

"If…" she started, then took a breath and looked up at him. "If it's because of what happened this afternoon… with us - I mean if you've changed your mind- "

He cut her off before she could finish, cupping her face in his hands tenderly as he kissed her. Feeling the tenseness drain out of her body as his lips met hers, John pulled her to him, momentarily forgetting where they were as his mouth hungrily devoured hers. He forced himself to pull back from her, fighting the growing urge to push her against the nearest wall to finish what he'd started – a task made all the more difficult by the view of Atlantis's commander standing in front of him with her hair dishevelled from his own hands, cheeks rosy and lips swollen from their kiss.

"You worry too much," John told her softly, the forefinger of his right hand tracing the tension in her eyebrows until she smiled, closing the distance between them to press her silken lips to his again.

"I've been told that before."

He grinned at her again, his finger moving over her face to the corner of her mouth before he kissed her soundly once more. Common sense told him this wasn't a good idea in a place so public, but what was left of his resolve crumbled when he heard her make a noise that sounded suspiciously like a whimper. His arms surrounded her waist as he felt her hands in his hair, pulling her flush against him as the kiss deepened heatedly.

It took a minute to register her half-hearted pushing at his shoulders before he complied, studying her intently as she stayed within the circle of his arms, flushed and breathless. "We shouldn't be doing this here."

John grinned widely at the conjured image of Ronon or Rodney walking in on them again, or at least at the image of Elizabeth's mortified face should it happen a second time. "Does this mean you've given yourself the night off?"

Her lips curved into a playful smile as she broke free of his questing hand over her spine, walking towards the open doorway. "Barring an emergency, I think they can cope without me tonight."

Grabbing his gym bag from the bench off to one side of the large room, John hurried after her, idly wondering why she enjoyed his chasing her so much. Placing a hand against the small of her back in lieu of being able to touch her, he found her looking at him with a teasing expression.

"What?"

"Is there something you had in mind for my night off or should I expect to be able to catch up on my reading?"

He feigned needing a moment to consider his answer. "How important is this reading to you? 'Cause I wouldn't want to deprive you of your book just to tend to my selfish… ideas."

Elizabeth had the grace to blush at his insinuation, but didn't falter in her response. "That's very generous of you, Colonel. Perhaps I'll get an early night then."

The mischievous expression adorning her pretty face did nothing to deter the on-going flow of innuendo springing to mind, but before he could retaliate the sight of Lorne and his team up ahead sobered his response. "You hungry?"

She nodded, smiling politely at Lorne as he approached them, the Major acknowledging them politely as he passed, with what John noted was a brighter smile at Elizabeth. He wondered if Lorne was another of the growing list of men to fall for the commander of Atlantis, a list that held his own name at what he suspected was one of the first positions.

---- SGA ---

The mess hall was busy when they arrived, many of the science personnel having called a halt to their various respective projects to eat and sleep – something Elizabeth had insisted upon earlier in the day. John was recounting the menu the mess hall staff was offering that evening as they joined the line waiting to be served, shortly before ducking slightly beside her as he caught sight of McKay at a nearby table.

Managing to collect their meals without incident, they chose a small table by the large windows overlooking the south-west pier. They sat in a companionable silence, finding the mass of multi-lingual conversations going on around them more than sufficient entertainment.

"You think they ever talk about anything other than science stuff?" John asked quietly, lowering his voice to make sure he wouldn't be overheard.

Her amused gaze met his as she looked up from her pasta, her lips curling in mock indignation at his mocking of her science teams. "Maybe their science is akin to your sports."

He made a show of mulling that over, before a bright grin spread across his face. "…or Ferris wheels."

"You talk about Ferris wheels?"

"Sure. Best ones, highest ones… "

"John, I really hope you're not serious." Elizabeth replied, her smile betraying her enjoyment of the conversation.

He didn't get the chance to reply as a shadow descended on their table in the form of the Daedulus's commander.

"Doctor Weir, I was wondering where you'd got to." Caldwell greeted with a civil smile, before his gaze moved to acknowledge John's presence. "Colonel."

"Colonel." John responded, his usual air of sarcasm not quite allowing his tone to seem sincere.

"Is there something I can do for you, Colonel?" Elizabeth asked politely, as John watched her diplomatic face slip back into place and mentally challenged the more senior officer to even dare try to ruin their night.

"I was thinking we could go over the mission reports ahead of the meeting tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, Colonel, I was going to take this evening off before Carson pulls medical rank on me." She smiled at Caldwell, and John had to fight the knot of possessiveness that welled up inside him at how easily she could reason with the men on the base, bending them to her way of thinking without them even being aware of it. He watched the exchange with feigned disinterest, picking at the food in front of him, trying to subtly study Elizabeth's smiling face.

"Until tomorrow, then. Have a good evening both of you." The tall man left them alone again with a nod, disappearing into the bustle of people entering a leaving the large mess hall.

Elizabeth felt John's hazel eyes on her and she rewarded him with her patented raised eyebrow at his unreadable expression. "What?"

John shook his head, refusing to voice the high-school-level jealousy he was trying to quell. "Nothing."

"John…" Her voice held the uncertain concern she'd had before in the gym, and it made him feel worse for worrying her again.

"I really don't like the way that guy speaks to you."

"Caldwell? He's harmless, John."

He appeared to accept her answer for a few moments, chewing a mouthful of the pasta he'd just been complaining about. "Okay, fine. I don't like the way he looks at you."

Elizabeth felt her eyebrows raise of their own accord she was so surprised by his admission, then frowned and stayed silent in the hopes of an explanation.

Seemingly registering the lull in conversation, John looked up to meet her penetrating emerald stare. "Did I say that out loud?"

She really didn't want to laugh at him, but the distinctly adorable expression on his handsome face made it extremely difficult to stay on serious topics. Schooling her face into a playful smirk, she tilted her head to one side slightly as if considering something. "Would this be your aversion to authority coming into play or would it be an alpha male instinct?"

To his credit, the surprised look that crossed his features was fleeting at best, before it as covered with a smile as equally wicked as his companion's. "You realise the second option would authorise me to throw you over my shoulder and -"

"John." The warning in her voice was crystal clear, but whilst it curbed his flirtatious remark, it only proved to widen his grin as he watched her flush a pretty pink.

When she clasped her elegant fingers together under her chin, smiling softly in his direction, he realised she'd finished her meal. "Dessert?"

She shook her head, her eyes following him as he stood up. "I'll just take a tea with me when we leave."

He gave her a quick nod and headed off towards the kitchens. A few minutes later he returned somewhat juggling two cups and two plates, precariously balanced on top of one another. "Ready?"

Elizabeth rewarded him with her puzzled smile, reaching out to take the metal mugs from his hand before he could loose his grip on them.

"There were only two chocolate cakes left, so I figured if I didn't get you one you'd eat most of mine anyway." He grinned by way of explanation, leading her in the direction of the media room.

As much as she wanted to refute the accusation, she knew he was right, having been guilty of stealing partial dessert dishes from him when she'd claimed not to want anything. He amused her greatly with his mutterings about women and their eating habits. They found the door to the media room already open when they got there, filled with what looked to be at least fifteen people. Simultaneously they turned before any of the expedition members could collar their leaders into the movie night, heading towards the transporter.

"My room or yours?"

John turned to her with uncontrollable mirth in his hazel eyes at the unintentional double meaning her words held. "You trying to tell me something 'Lizbeth?"

She levelled him with a predictable glare before a distinctly coquettish smile adorned her lips, before replying simply, "Maybe."

---- SGA ---

Fifteen minutes later Elizabeth was once again sitting comfortably on her 2IC's bed, watching him as he battled with his great idea. Pilfering a projector and a screen from the lab nearest to his quarters, he'd taken to the idea he could hook up the projector to his laptop, thereby creating 'their own personal cinema'. Feeling like a naughty teenager sneaking about with her boyfriend, she'd helped him lug the large screen the short distance to his room, all the while trying not to laugh at his mock warnings of various threats to their 'covert mission'. She was again wondering how the man had ever made it to the rank of Major before she met him, much less Lt Colonel now.

His wonderful idea did however mean that she was free to enjoy the view as he battled the technology valiantly. As he slipped a disc into the laptop, she assumed he'd succeeded; an assumption confirmed when he settled himself onto the bed beside her, remote in hand. His eyes rested on her for a moment, taking in her relaxed form curled up beside him, long legs bent at the knees and delicate hands holding the plate of chocolate cake in front of her. Sensing his scrutiny, beautiful green eyes met his, sending him that puzzled smile he was so used to. Confusing her seemed to be his forte.

He leant forward, brushing his lips against hers, the sweet taste of the cake greeting his taste buds. Winding his arm around her shoulders, she curled up to his side, setting her plate down on his thigh momentarily to reach for one of the two cups standing on the bedside table. Handing him his drink, she reclaimed her dessert and shifted her gaze to the large makeshift screen. "What are we watching?"

"Batman," He replied between sips of the cooling tea. "Not sure which one though."

"You haven't stolen this too, have you?"

"I have it on extended loan from Major Lorne actually." John replied indignantly, his fingers beginning to move absently within her dark hair as he glanced over her head in search of the second dessert. "Where are you hiding my cake, Weir?"

She laughed, setting her now empty plate on the floor beside the bed and retrieving his. "I hope you weren't implying I may have eaten them both, _Colonel._"

Unwinding his arm from around her so he could consume the dessert, he watched her hold the metal mug of tea in both hands. Her green eyes were on the giant screen in front of them as she curled her long legs under her with the grace of a gymnast. The warmth of her arm against his distracted him from finishing the cake, and she laughed when he waved a forkful of it in front of her lips.

Another fifteen minutes went by before John dropped a kiss to her hairline, his left hand already firmly entangled in the brunette curls of her hair as her head rested against his shoulder. He managed another five before his mouth moved to her forehead. This time she looked up with a questioning smile, beautiful green eyes full of affection. Shifting his right arm over her stomach, he let her instinctually close the distance between them to kiss him, the film playing in the background forgotten. Passion flared in his mind as his tongue found hers and he felt her fingers clutch handfuls of the back of the black t-shirt he wore. She whimpered softly as his left hand found its way under her blue shirt, skimming the satin underside of her bra.

Kissing his way down her elegant neck, he tightened his arm around her as she arched her back. Elizabeth turned her head in an effort to catch his mouth in another kiss, breathing raggedly as she found herself now lying rather than sitting against the pillows. Pulling back to see her eyes, he grinned mischievously at her, kissing the tip of her nose before slanting his mouth over hers again.

Pushing her top up, he dropped gentle kisses to her smooth skin, then up over her ribs until she finally lost patience grasping the hem to pull the light-weight material over her head. He grinned at her eagerness and was rewarded with a flirty smirk before she pulled his head down to meet her lips once more. With warm hands he explored her torso, and then moved from her lips to press tender kisses to her collar-bone, finally taking in the sight of the deep purple satin fabric encasing her chest.

The roughness of the slight stubble on his jaw-line against the soft skin of her breast brought about another whimper as he pressed his lips just above the cup, causing John to raise his head to look at her. "You okay?"

She nodded with an embarrassed smile; her cheeks coloured a self-conscious pink. "Too okay."

He couldn't help but kiss the smile from her lips, enjoying the feeling of her slender fingers in his unruly hair as her other hand tugged at his t-shirt. "Impatient?"

John laughed against her mouth as she shot him a steely look that never failed to shut up insubordinate flyboys – unfortunately for her their current situation immunized him against it, and he proceeded to kiss her senseless until her feigned indignation dissolved completely.

"John?" She breathed quietly, breathless again. "John, lock the door."


	9. Tantalization

Big thanks so Shane and Triala for beta-ing!

Moments Like This

Chapter 9 – Tantalization

Elizabeth awoke slowly, immediately aware of a constant warmth surrounding her. One strong, well-toned arm encircled her waist and another held her just below the chest somewhat possessively, steady breathing ruffling her hair and warming the back of her neck where John's head lay so close to hers on the pillow. Truthfully, on the rare occasions she'd allowed herself to wonder, she'd never have guessed John to be an overly affectionate man. Caring and loyal, there was no doubt, but physically affectionate, not so much. Memories of the previous night flitted back and forth in her mind; John above her, their mouths clashing together desperately as they moved in unison, the intensity of sensations overwhelming her. In the hours after, he had watched her, always touching her, tracing obscure patterns over her skin whilst asking inane questions about her pre-Atlantis life that only he would think of. He made her laugh at the stories of McKay and Zelenka bickering on a recent research mission, and of introducing Ronon and Teyla to the idea of computer games, neither of whom could understand the fascination behind imaginary games played against an unseen opponent. The evening crept by, and as they both began to succumb to the tug of slumber, John had wrapped her in a gentle hug, telling her to sleep whilst dropping several kisses to her bare shoulder.

Twisting as carefully as she could, she moved around so she was facing him, smiling when his arms loosened enough to let her shift and immediately tightened around her again when she settled. From her new vantage point, Elizabeth focussed her eyes on his full lips, barely an inch from her face. Reaching up to skim her thumb lightly over the stubbly skin of his jaw, she took the time to study his features, now relaxed in sleep. The idea of sleeping with John Sheppard had not been something she allowed herself to think of too much in the past; enough of her female staff already had that covered from the snippets of conversations she remembered from those first few stressful months in the city. It was a bond that had crept up on her without her even suspecting it; a friendship born of necessity at first, quickly evolving into a companionship that served them well in their jobs and rapidly led to spending increasing amounts of time together on rare 'out-of-office' hours.

"You okay?"

John's voice, hushed and husky with sleep, sounded incredibly sexy to her, even if she had inadvertently woken him. Leaning forward a little, she pressed a soft kiss to his lips in apology, holding back a grin at his half-hearted attempt to deepen it. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"'S'kay," he replied, one hand finding the hem of the T-shirt that Elizabeth had put on before they fell asleep. His T-shirt, he realized belatedly, tracing the curves of her side as she kissed him again. His hazel eyes were a dark green in the low light, playful in his lethargic attempt at seduction. "You look great with bed hair."

She rewarded him with an indignant laugh, amused at the 'little boy innocent' smirk adorning his handsome face. "You're one to talk." To prove her point she buried her fingers into his silky hair, fingernails lightly grazing his scalp.

John hummed appreciatively at her movements. "Feels good."

Smiling at his contented noises, she continued to run her hand over his head, holding his gaze as he watched her. She had no idea how long they stayed that way before he covered her mouth with his own, letting her hand drop to his shoulder as he gathered her closer to him. Each kiss increased in intensity until he nudged her onto her back, propping himself up on an arm either side of her.

"'-Like kissing you," John breathed suddenly, between kisses, moving his attention across her jaw line and down her neck.

"Seems we have that in common then," Elizabeth barely managed to reply as she felt his teeth nip at the side of her neck in what she fleetingly hoped wasn't going to leave a mark in the morning. Making a noise somewhere between a laugh and a hum as John grinned devilishly down at her, she found herself hoping she'd be able to survive the next day on very little sleep.

John woke a few hours later as he felt movement against him, chocolate-coloured curls tickling his mouth as she moved. With her head tucked under his chin, Elizabeth stilled and he felt her hook one leg between his. Pressing a kiss to her hair and shifting his arm to rest underneath the too-big shirt of his, he placed his hand on her warm skin between her shoulder blades.

He was very nearly asleep when her nose moved against his collarbone, and he wondered if she was dreaming or awake. He got his answer a minute later when she moved her head, beautiful green eyes blinking sleepily at him. Raising the hand that wasn't entangled beneath her shirt, he traced his index finger over her high cheekbone, eliciting a drowsy smile from her.

"I didn't know you were a restless sleeper." He grinned, studying the green of her eyes as a blush crept up her pretty face.

"I'm not usually," Elizabeth explained, sounding somewhat embarrassed. "It's just been a while since there's been anyone… I'm used to having a bed to myself."

He liked that she was so honest with him. She always had been. He still wasn't used to someone completely trusting him, in his judgement, in his decisions, even after more than two years in Atlantis. Smiling at the sudden flare of affection he felt for the woman beside him, John enveloped her lips in his own. When they broke away from each other there was no trace of uneasiness left on her face, only the amused half-smile he was so used to seeing on a daily basis – usually when he made a sarcastic comment for her benefit.

"I think I might commandeer this shirt, John."

He shot her an entertained grin, bunching the fabric of the shirt further up her thigh subtly. "You want to steal my shirt?"

"It's mine now." She replied matter-of-factly, leaning forward to playfully peck him on the lips before sitting up. "Do you mind if I borrow your shower?"

John visibly brightened at that, which only got him one of her disparaging glares. "Is that an invitation?"

"It was a request, I can go back to- " Her breath caught somewhere between a surprised laugh and a squeal as John flipped her on to her back, pinning her wrists either side of her head. "Just what is this supposed to accomplish?"

Even though he was on the receiving end of one of Elizabeth Weir's most dangerous glares, the subtle quirking of her mouth gave away the lack of seriousness she held against him. Maybe he would survive the day after all, he thought with a victorious smirk. "I think we might be able to come to a fair arrangement, Doc." As he leapt up, he held out his hands to her, mischievous expression ever-present on his face.

Elizabeth let him help her off the bed, shooting him a half-hearted stare as she placed her hands on her hips, the usual effect severely diluted thanks to the large t-shirt she wore. "You're definitely not getting this back now."

John's gaze fell to the black shirt, which somehow seemed to work on her, mostly because it only fell to her upper thighs. "Fair price to pay." He grinned flirtatiously, grasping her hand to lead her towards the bathroom.

Elizabeth was lucky she'd left a few items of clothing in what was to be her new room, as they belatedly realised they didn't have as much time before their joint meeting as they thought they did. Slipping across the hall was a lot easier than crossing the city in the previous day's casual clothes would have been. Of course John found it all ridiculously amusing, much to her chagrin. Up until she reminded him that he still had the projector screen to return before it was missed, which then wiped the smile from his face at the thought of angry scientists on his back all week.

The briefing was for Doctor Zelenka to update the high-ranking personnel on relevant research findings his team had come across in the last fortnight, and thankfully Zelenka seemed to be too busy setting up the series of discs for the presentation to pay much attention to the two late-comers. Rodney, however, was a different story.

"Glad you could join us, Colonel, Elizabeth. Is this too early a meeting for you?" Was the inevitable snipe from the pre-caffeinated physicist.

John sighed, wishing he and Elizabeth had had enough time to grab breakfast before having to face his irritable team-mate. "Shut up, McKay."

"That was original."

Casting a sidelong glance at his partner in crime, who had seated herself beside him in strategic silence, he then turned to glare at McKay. "I'm tired, I'll do better tomorrow."

"Isn't that your motto in life?"

"As opposed to belittling everyone in your path being yours?"

"Gentlemen." Elizabeth cut in, managing to inject more impatience than she felt into her tone. "Radek, I'm sorry we were late."

"That's quite alright, Dr. Weir." The Czech scientist replied in a pleasant tone, his manner the polar opposite of his so-called equal in their field of astrophysics.

The briefing began and Elizabeth listened intently for the first thirty minutes before her attention was drawn to John. He was staring at her, with what could only be described as a smug smile on his face. His gaze was so intent on her she had to glance around the large briefing table to check no one else had noticed them, then shot him a glare to stop it. When he grinned at her she didn't know if she wanted to strangle him or laugh at his too-amused face, simultaneously suppressing a shiver at what he could possibly be thinking about. Although she could probably guess the topic. Shooting him another glare for good measure, she was relieved when he turned to focus on Zelenka, although his mouth was still curved in an amused half-smile.

She caught him watching her again twice more during the rest of the meeting, both of which earned him increasing levels of menace in her looks. The third time she glanced at him, she decided to get her own back. "Care to add anything, Colonel?"

To his credit, he didn't so much as blink in surprise at her sudden question. "I don't think it's enough to be field-relevant yet, but it sounds cool." The tilt of his head, as if to rub it in that he'd been listening all along, only served to provoke her more, but she narrowed her eyes at him and looked away, refusing him the satisfaction of winning their silent game.

"Okay, then. If no one has anything else…" As the room remained quiet she continued; "Good, let's get back to work." Elizabeth shot a professional smile at the seated personnel, before rising to leave.

Elizabeth was wading through the various e-mailed requests that had arrived from various personnel the previous evening when John appeared at the door with what looked to be breakfast.

"Not quite breakfast in bed, but…" The pleased-with-himself grin was still firmly in place as he perched on the corner of her desk, setting down the two mugs and bag of pastries next to him.

"You were surprisingly silent during Dr. Zelenka's briefing." Elizabeth stated casually, taking a sip of her coffee as she shot him a suspicious smile.

"I was?"

"You were. Care to share what was on your mind?"

His hazel eyes gleamed playfully as he folded his arms across his chest and answered; "How do you know I'm not still thinking about it?"

"John," She glared at him, a trace of well-hidden amusement on her face. "Tell me."

"Let's just say it involved the briefing table and you wearing some silky thing I must find out if you own." His mischievous grin was infectious, and as much as Elizabeth wanted to stare him down with her best un-amused glare, she could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Don't you have work to be doing?" She asked in her authoritative tone, trying to ignore the fact he was sat on her desk so casually anyone would think it was his office.

"You trying to get rid of me, 'Lizabeth?"

She sat back in her chair and held his cheerful gaze for a few minutes, before submitting and letting an amused smile cross her face. "You can stay and look at some of these science reports if you like. I won't get to them until tomorrow at this rate."

"Progress reports?"

Elizabeth nodded, leaning forward to edge the folder out of the stack to her right before handing it to him. "Thanks, John."

"Anything that keeps me out of the scientists' experiments is fine by me," he replied, moving over to the couch opposite her desk and settling himself comfortably as he scanned the first report. She followed his movement with her eyes until he looked up at her, the look on his face confirming that he'd not realized how dense the reports were he'd just agreed to help her with. "This means you're buying lunch."


End file.
